The distribution of three subspecies comprising Staphylococcus sciuri was determined for a collection of 30 clinical isolates originating from Morocco, the United Kingdom, and France. The sources of these isolates were principally wounds, skin, and soft tissue infections. At the species level, the isolates were identified according to biochemical characteristics and at the subspecies level by the ribotyping technique. PCR analysis performed with the 16S-23S ribosomal DNA intergenic spacer was less powerful for subspecies differentiation. S. sciuri subsp. sciuri was the most frequent subspecies (21 isolates) found in the collection, whereas S. sciuri subsp. rodentium (seven isolates) and S. sciuri subsp. carnaticus (two isolates) were less common. mecA or a mecA-related gene was detected by PCR and Southern blot in all 30 S. sciuri isolates, supporting the suggestion that S. sciuri species are the natural reservoir of the mecA gene. While the linA/linA` gene coding for lincomycin resistance was present in five isolates, an uncharacterized gene for this resistance was suspected in seventeen other isolates.
Distribution des sous-especes de Staphylococcus sciuri parmi des prelevements effectues chez l'homme et profils d'antibioresistance. La distribution de trois sous-especes de Staphylococcus sciuri a ete determinee sur un total de 30 isolats cliniques obtenus au Maroc, au Royaume Uni et en France et venant principalement de plaies et d'infections cutanees et de tissus mous. L'identification de l'espece a ete faite au moyen de criteres biochimiques et celle des sous-especes a ete assuree par ribotypage. L'amplification de l'espace intergenique 16S-23S de l'ADNAr s'est montree moins perfomante pour la differentiation des sous-especes. S. sciuri subsp. sciuri est la plus frequente (21 isolats) par rapport a S. sciuri subsp. rodentium (sept isolats) et S. sciuri subsp. carnaticus (deux). Le gene mecA (ou apparente) detecte par PCR et Southern blot se trouve chez la totalite des 30 souches etudiees. Cela suggere que l'espece S.<space>sciuri est le reservoir naturel du gene mecA. Le gene linA/linA` codant la resistance a la lincomycine est present chez cinq isolats; on peut suspecter l'existence d'un gene de resistance non caracterise chez 17 isolats.